Daniel DefoeThinkers

Church is suspect — Wherever God erects a house of prayer, The Devil always builds a chapel there; And 'twill be found, upon examination, The latter has the largest congregation.

Contrast is essential to our accurate cognition of our world. We never see the true state of our condition till it is illustrated to us by its contraries, nor know how to value what we enjoy, but by the want of it.

Desperation is a threat to morals — Hunger knows no friend.

An Evil is oftentimes the most dreadful thing to us, but also the very means or door of our deliverance, by which alone we can be raised again from the affliction we are fallen into.

Evil is a thing no man commits for the sake of it. Even the Devil himself has some further design in sinning,.

Fear is ten thousand times more terrifying than danger itself.

Good behavior is mostly a result of lack of opportunity — All men would be tyrants if they could.

Innocence is subjective. Justice is always violent to the party offending, for every man is innocent in his own eyes.

Justice is always violent to the party offending, for every man is innocent in his own eyes.

Law is a heathen word for power.

Leadership is more important than all else. It is better to have a lion at the head of an army of sheep, than a sheep at the head of an army of lions.